Medieval: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Chapter 185 Unlucky Henry

Chapter 186 Unlucky Henry

Henry has recently felt as if he has been cursed by Satan himself.

The story begins with his infiltration of Kutenberg.

As he wrapped his worn-out leather coat tightly around himself, he mingled with the morning crowd entering the city and entered Kutenberg through the west gate. The city's roads were unpaved and would become very muddy on rainy days.

His boots stomped and groaned on the muddy road, each step seeming like a struggle against the land.

"Fresh wine! Fine wine from sun-drenched vineyards in the Czech Republic! Free tasting!"

An overly enthusiastic voice suddenly pierced his eardrums. Before Henry could react, a wine seller wearing a red hat and with thin cheeks blocked his way, holding a glass of deep red liquid.

The man was wearing an overly clean linen shirt with rough grape patterns embroidered on the cuffs, which looked like a brand new shirt he had just bought.

"Traveler from afar, have a taste, it's free." The wine vendor's smile was so bright it looked like it was hooked onto his face.

Henry wanted to refuse, but the aroma of the wine was indeed tempting, and he wasn't one to refuse, so he took the wooden glass and drank it all in one gulp.

The wine glides down the throat with a hint of unripe fruitiness, but the aftertaste is somewhat thin. Compared to those aged vintages, it certainly falls short.

"How is it? Not bad, right?" the liquor vendor asked eagerly, his hands unconsciously rubbing together.

Henry nodded politely and was about to leave when the other person grabbed him.

"Wait, kind sir, I can tell you're a connoisseur of wine."

The wine shop owner suddenly put on a distressed expression. "My name is Kasper Rudolf, and I just started a vineyard outside the city. But my wine... as you can taste, it's not as good as the monastery's."

Isn't it obvious?

The monks of Seidlez Abbey have been making wine for generations, their vineyards are blessed by saints, and their cellars hold wines that have been aged for over a decade.

What makes Caspar Rudolph think he can compete with him?

But Rudolf didn't think so.

He leaned closer to Henry, lowering his voice as if sharing a huge secret: "I think the problem lies in three aspects:"

First, we don't know the monastery's winemaking secrets; second, we don't have their high-quality grape seedlings; and third...

He coughed awkwardly, "I gave the brewing manual to my ex-girlfriend, and now I can't get it back."

Henry frowned. What did this have to do with him?

Kasper Rudolf seemed to read his mind and immediately grabbed his arm: "You seem like a capable person! Help me get these things, and once my wine sells well, I'll definitely share the profits with you!"

Henry tried to break free, but the other person's hand was as firm as an iron clamp.

He looked around and saw several passersby casting curious glances at him.

Kasper Rudolf's eyes gleamed with an almost frenzied light, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"I was just passing through..." Henry tried to explain.

"No, no, you must be sent by God to help me!"

Kasper Rudolf almost knelt down. "From the first moment I saw you, I noticed that you had a halo above your head, a sword on your body, a handsome appearance, light steps, and a strong body. You must be the one I've been waiting for."

I assure you, if these three conditions are met, my wines will rival the treasures of monasteries!

"But why should I help you? I don't want to get into trouble." Henry shrugged.

"No, please help me. I've invested all my possessions in the vineyards. If they don't turn a profit, I'll go bankrupt, become homeless, and eventually die. As a good Christian, are you going to watch me die such a miserable death?"

Kasper's gaunt face showed a pleading expression.

But even good Christians shouldn't incite others to steal from monasteries.

Henry thought to himself, "What?!" But he was always soft-hearted. Looking at Kasper Rudolph's desperate expression, he remembered his own father, Martin, working late into the night every day to support his family. Finally, he sighed and nodded.

Over the next three days, Henry experienced the most absurd adventure of his life.

He first disguised himself as a sommelier from out of town and applied for a short-term job at the vineyard of Seidletz Abbey.

The monastery's stone walls soared into the clouds, and the rose windows shimmered with a sacred light in the sunlight. Monks in black robes moved through the corridors like moving shadows.

Henry was assigned the job of pruning the grapevines. He clumsily imitated the other workers' movements, his fingers scratched and bleeding from the rough vines.

At night, he scaled the wall into the nursery and stole five high-quality grape seedlings.

They slipped into the wine cellar while the monks on guard were dozing. The air was filled with the rich aroma of oak barrels and fermenting grapes.

Just as he found a yellowed winemaking manuscript and was about to slip away, a vineyard overseer suddenly appeared. He was a tall man, and the lantern in his hand illuminated Henry's panicked face.

"Thief!" The overseer's shout echoed through the wine cellar.

Henry took off running, the overseer's shouts and the increasingly close barking of dogs following behind. He climbed over the outer wall of the monastery, thorns tearing his trousers and the cold stone bricks chafing his palms.

He twisted his ankle upon landing, but still managed to limp into the nearby forest.

Afterwards, to soothe his guilt, he spent several dozen Grossens to buy an indulgence at the city church. The rough parchment bore a promise of redemption written in Latin, but Henry always felt that the words condemned his sin.

Next, Henry searched for Caspar Rudolph's ex-girlfriend. Following the address, Henry arrived at a house in the west of the city. A small garden surrounded the house, filled with various flowers.

He had just pushed open the gate when a burly man blocked his way. The man had broad shoulders and thick arms; he was clearly the girl's brother.

"What do you want?" the man asked in an unfriendly tone, standing there with his hands on his hips like an insurmountable wall.

Henry explained his purpose, but the other party scoffed, "My sister will have nothing to do with that drunkard anymore! Get lost!"

Just as Henry was about to give up, he caught a glimpse of a girl in a light brown dress reading in the depths of the garden.

Taking advantage of the man's inattention, he nimbly bypassed the bushes and approached the girl as lightly as a butterfly.

"Hello, ma'am, Caspar Rudolph sent me to collect a book he gave you," Henry asked in a low voice.

The girl was startled and almost dropped the book in her hands. She had clear gray eyes and a few freckles on the tip of her nose.

"He sent you?" the girl asked warily. "We're done."

"But he wants his book back."

"What's your name?"

"Henry".

"Your name is lovely, but I must warn you, I'm already engaged. However, seeing you has made me regret this marriage."

"Forehead.....

'

"Alright, that book is useless to me, but if you'd like to stay with me for half a day and weave me a flower wreath, I might return it to you."

Henry had no choice but to sacrifice his "good looks" to gain the girl's trust. In the end, she pulled a leather-wrapped booklet from the bottom of a wooden chest in the bedroom and handed it to Henry.

"Tell him not to come looking for me again." After saying this, the girl turned and left in a hurry, her skirt billowing in a sad arc in the spring breeze.

When Henry handed the three items to Caspar Rudolph, the man was overjoyed, holding the brewing manual like a newborn baby.

"Excellent! Excellent!" Kasper Rudolph exclaimed, spinning around. "Once I plant these vines, make wine according to the secret recipe, and age it in oak barrels for a few years, I'm sure I'll sell it for a good price! Then I'll definitely give you your share!"

Henry was stunned: "A few years?"

"Exactly!" Kasper Rudolf said matter-of-factly. "Fine wines need time to mature. In ten years, we'll be rich!"

A ten-year wait?

Henry felt a rush of heat to his head.

He almost got caught by the monastery for these things, twisted his ankle, and got beaten up, only to find out that this cunning wine merchant was playing these tricks on him.

"Are you kidding me?" Henry's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his voice low and menacing.

Kasper Rudolf took two steps back, his smile vanishing instantly: "Guards! Guards! Someone's trying to kill us here!"

""

The patrolling soldiers in the city came running at the sound, looking at Henry with hostility.

The liquor store owner used a vivid lesson to teach Henry, who was new to the big city, a lesson he learned: there are no free lunches, and children who try to take advantage of others will inevitably be taken advantage of themselves.

"You just wait!"

Henry made a harsh statement and began his escape again.

He weaved through the narrow alleyways, leaping over puddles of water to evade the pursuing guards.

Finally, he took refuge in an open-air blacksmith shop, using the heat of the furnace to dry his soaked trouser legs, the sparks almost scorching his coat.

When unfortunate Henry finally arrived at the tavern where Catherine worked, it was already evening. The tavern was filled with the aroma of roast pork and ale, and travelers sat around a long table, their conversations buzzing like a swarm of bees.

Catherine was wiping the wine glasses when she saw Henry's disheveled appearance and couldn't help but laugh.

"Look what I've found! A disheveled little Henry!"

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